Zone Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.  

Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

As a Zone Manufacturing Engineer at General Motors, you will provide senior technical leadership for a defined General Assembly zone from concept through launch and steady-state production. You will independently apply advanced manufacturing, process engineering, lean, and General Motors Manufacturing System (GMS) principles to optimize safety, quality, delivery, cost, and operational performance.

You will lead complex manufacturing initiatives, influence cross-functional decisions, mentor engineering and production partners, and drive sustainable solutions to improve process capability, material flow, equipment effectiveness, and operator efficiency.

Work Environment

The home base location will be Warren, MI, Fort Wayne, IN, Spring Hill, Tennessee, or Bowling Green, Kentucky. This role requires up to 75% travel, including travel to GM plants, supplier locations, equipment integrators, and launch sites. Travel requirements vary depending on the selected home base location. Work may involve weekends, holidays, off-shift support, and extended periods away from the home base during product launches, equipment installations, build events, and production recovery activities.

What You’ll Do

Zone Ownership & Launch Execution

• Provide technical ownership and leadership for new programs, model changes, and current production activities within an assigned General Assembly zone.

• Lead complex launch and manufacturing projects from concept through installation, validation, launch, and steady-state production.

• Define and align tooling, equipment, automation, conveyance, facilities, material handling, workstation, and process requirements.

• Establish project strategies, milestones, risks, and recovery plans to ensure launch objectives are achieved.

• Lead build events, resolve complex launch issues, and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future programs and current production.

• Provide technical direction to less-experienced engineers and production partners.

Process & Tooling Engineering

• Develop and implement robust manufacturing processes using advanced Process Engineering methodologies to achieve production, quality, cost, and throughput targets.

• Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analyses for new and existing products and processes to improve producibility, reduce cost, and minimize variation.

• Develop optimized sequence and flow of operations to maximize effective utilization of people, material, machines, and facilities.

• Design, specify, and integrate equipment, tooling, automation, and technology from concept through construction, installation, launch, and continuous improvement.

• Develop tooling Statements of Requirements (SORs) and manage complex tooling, station, automation, and technology projects to timing, cost, quality, and performance targets.

• Provide technical direction and oversight to suppliers, integrators, and external engineering partners.

• Collaborate with design and automation teams to define Human Machine Interface (HMI) requirements that improve operator efficiency, usability, and safety.

• Ensure design documentation, spare parts planning, maintenance requirements, and equipment reliability strategies are complete.

• Complete tooling, equipment, process, and launch documentation required by program and plant governance teams.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Performance

• Apply GMS principles to identify and eliminate waste, standardize work, improve process discipline, and enhance operational performance.

• Lead Value Stream Mapping (VSM) activities to identify bottlenecks, improve material flow, reduce lead times, and optimize end-to-end zone performance.

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), analyze trends, and implement corrective actions when performance deviates from production plans or targets.

• Lead structured problem-solving and lean manufacturing initiatives that deliver sustainable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and labor efficiency.

• Identify opportunities to improve process capability, equipment effectiveness, ergonomics, and operator experience.

• Validate that improvements are sustained through standard work, layered audits, visual management, and performance monitoring.

Cross-Functional Integration & Planning

• Lead interfaces with Process, Materials, Product Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Operations, Automation, Safety, Ergonomics, and other stakeholders.

• Influence product and process decisions by providing manufacturing feasibility, DFM, capacity, tooling, and launch recommendations.

• Lead alignment on common tooling, processes, standards, and technology across the department and related manufacturing groups.

• Participate in integration planning for installation requirements, phasing, pull-ahead plans, conveyance interfaces, material presentation, and production readiness.

• Lead deep-dive reviews of process development, implementation, and performance for the assigned zone.

• Provide technical support and guidance to production teams, addressing manufacturing challenges and implementing sustainable solutions.

Material Flow & Logistics Integration

• Develop efficient material flow concepts and strategies for future material movement into and within the zone.

• Lead VSM and material flow reviews to reduce waste, congestion, handling, and lead times.

• Partner with Materials, Logistics, and Operations to optimize part presentation, container interfaces, conveyance, and line-side delivery.

• Support business cases for critical tooling-to-container interfaces, material presentation strategies, and logistics improvements.

Quality, Risk & Safety

• Lead PFMEA development and maintenance for assigned programs and production processes.

• Use PFMEA, process capability, problem-solving, and build validation data to proactively identify and mitigate process risks.

• Ensure processes, equipment, tooling, and workstations meet or exceed GM safety, ergonomics, quality, and design standards.

• Ensure strict adherence to Lockout Tagout (LOTO) procedures and other applicable industrial safety requirements.

• Participate in safety observations, risk assessments, and corrective-action activities.

• Partner with Safety and Ergonomics teams to address hazards and improve operator safety and usability.

• Lead integration of build validation results and lessons learned into zone designs, processes, and standards.

Systems, Documentation & Governance

• Maintain status of process change requests, project actions, and related documentation in engineering and manufacturing systems.

• Lead virtual and digital builds to validate process, tooling, HMI, and manufacturing readiness before physical builds.

• Maintain zone tooling requirements and cross-check against standard and special tool lists.

• Define specialized power tool, fastening, controls, and HMI requirements and coordinate implementation with appropriate stakeholders.

• Ensure maintenance training and equipment handoff activities are completed for critical zone assets.

• Lead or support program financial reviews related to zone tooling, equipment, automation, and process investments.

• Maintain accurate technical documentation, standards, lessons learned, and operating requirements throughout the product lifecycle.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field; equivalent relevant manufacturing experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

• 5 or more years of experience in manufacturing, process engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex manufacturing projects from concept through launch and production.

• Proven expertise in Process Engineering methodologies, lean manufacturing, and structured problem-solving.

• Demonstrated proficiency in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles and manufacturing feasibility analysis.

• Strong understanding and practical application of GMS principles.

• Experience leading or facilitating Value Stream Mapping activities and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Proven ability to develop and maintain PFMEAs and use risk assessments to drive process improvements.

• Experience with manufacturing equipment, tooling, automation, HMI considerations, and production systems.

• Thorough knowledge of Lockout Tagout procedures and applicable industrial safety standards.

• Demonstrated ability to monitor KPIs, identify performance gaps, and implement effective corrective actions.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions and organizational levels.

• Proven ability to lead multiple highly complex projects with a high degree of autonomy, accountability, and sound judgment.

• Demonstrated ability to provide technical guidance, mentor others, and influence decisions without direct authority.

• Strong analytical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.

• Flexibility with changing work hours and environments to meet project timelines and plant operating schedules.

• Willingness and ability to work weekends and holidays as required.

• Ability to travel, sometimes extensively, during product program launches.

What Can Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience in automotive manufacturing, preferably General Assembly.

• Extensive knowledge of safety, design, manufacturing, and standards.

• Experience at an assembly plant or in a centralized manufacturing engineering organization.

• Expertise with General Assembly tooling, conveyors, automation, power tools, fastening systems, and HMI design.

• Experience leading launch execution, build events, equipment installation, process validation, or production recovery.

• Experience with VSM, standardized work, waste elimination, line balancing, and lean manufacturing.

• Advanced experience with PFMEA, control plans, process capability, and quality risk mitigation.

• Experience with digital build tools and manufacturing engineering systems, including tooling and equipment databases.

• Experience developing business cases and managing tooling, equipment, automation, or process investments.

• Experience working with suppliers, integrators, and external engineering partners.

• Experience mentoring engineers or leading cross-functional technical teams.

#LI-MH1

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}. The selected candidate will be required to travel at least 50% or more on a frequent basis. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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